Tensiometer



E. A. BLACK Dec. 13, 1949 TENS IOM'ETER Filed NOV. 13, 1945 I INVENTOR.

ERIC A. BLACK ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 13, 1949 outrea- PATENT ore-res.

TENSIOMETER? Eric A. Black, RedeBank,-.N.-.-J.;

Application November 13,- 1945,?Seria'rNor628343 (Granted under the act of March 33,1883, as amendedrApi-i'lw, 1928; 370 0.'-G. -7577 The invention described herein may Joe-.manm. facturedand used by 1 or for itheGovernment for governmental purposes-without the payment. to me. of any royalty thereon;

The :present invention relates to .tensiometers and more particularly .totensiometers: which are well adapted for use with guys as used for staying radio antenna towers and;the.like.y.

In adjusting the tension'onzguys, .the;usual practice has been either to .test the .tension by touch, which of .course is highlyaunsatisfactory; or by using some complicated and. expensive tensioning mechanism, which in some-instances requiresmore than a single anchorage for each guy.

It is therefore an object ofthe present-invention to provide a tensiometerwhich' is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and-whichmaybe installed permanently with a guy, so that itisnot necessary to open the guy to insert a tensiometer at the time of testing and so that the guy tensionmay be periodically adjusted withoutthe use of additional apparatus.

It is a further object to provide a tensiometer whichmay be readilyset for a predetermined amount of tension so that its use in the fieldis simple and rapid.

It is a still'further object to providesucha tensiometer wherein any of the parts, which might be adversely affected by the elements, may be removed once the desired tension has "been set up and they may be readily reinstalled and the tensiometer reused subsequently as desired.

These and other objects and advantages of my present invention, which will be better understood as the detailed. description. thereof progresses, are obtained in the following 111251113812,

I provide a tensiometer. which .is interposed into a uy at any convenient point, .the guy being separated at that-.point so. as to provide two free ends to which the tensiometer maybe fastened. The tensiometer includes a lever beam which is positioned.transverselyto the axis. of the guy. The free end of oneportionof. the guy is suitably secured tothe fulcrum point of the lever beam which is near. one endthereof, i and the free. end of the second portion of. the guy is secured to the said .lever...beam-at. a. point.a relatively short distance fromsaid fulcrum point, .so

thatincreased tension upon the. guy willtend .to swing the .outerend of. .the..lever. .beaml toward the second portion ,of the guy.- Tension adjusting means are also provided-for exertingsapullofa predetermined amount at. a predetermined point along the outer end of said lever beam, saidpull being in effect. opposite in direction to the; tension exerted by the said. second portion of said guy, so that the moment .of saida pull. acting effect opposite and equal to the moment of the tension-onthe guy acting. through its relatively short ieverarm: Asthe respective arm lengths arekncwn;adefihitetensionmay be applied to the guy byapplyinga determinable pullthrough the tension adjusting means aforesaid. This is effectuated.by'providinga tension adjusting tie member whichextends from the first portion of the guy to a point along the outer end of the lever. beam. Said tie member is arranged to be adjustable. in eilectivelength and. it includes a suitable sprin ele'ment of known value.

Thus,.to obtain..a..desired tension upon the guy, a predetermined effective length of saidten sion. adjusting tie member is joined to the outer end of the beam.- ata predetermined point thereof.. The tension on the-guy may then be increased until a predetermined position of'.bal.- ance of z the lever beam" is achieved, whereupon the desired-tension will-have been appliedto the uy. Meanaare preferably also provided to then lock the-device in :said position-of balance so that thedelicate-par-ts. of ;the.ttension adjusting tie member: may .;be removed.

In this specificationthere is. described, and in the annexed drawings shown, what is at present considered awprefer-red embodiment of the present inventione. It isvhowever to be understood that. said: invention-sis notv limited :to said em bodiment inasmuch as "changes: therein may be made ewithoutw the exercise .of' invention and within-the: true spirit and scope-of the-claims hereto appended.

In.saiozibdrawings,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a tensiometer embodying thepresent invention in position in a guy; the-parts beingshown in their relaxed positions;

Figure 2 is-a'viewsimilar' to Figure-1, the parts being shown however afterthe 'tensiometer has been set-fora'particular guy tension and after said tension has been'applied' to the guy;

Figure 3 is-"a viewsimilar to Figure 2, except that it is' drawn to a larger scale. and the lockin tie rod has now been secured to the lever beam to' lock the parts in place;

Figure 4 is'a perspective view of the lower end of the. tensiometer of Figure 3; Figure 5 isa view of. the. outer end of. the. lever beam. of Figure .3, taken ...along.. the line. 5-5 ther.eof.,-.with ..only.the..tension adjusting pin in place:

Referring-now-more particularly to the drawings, the; tensiometer-.- there illustrated includes a :lever ibea-m -i lwhich. is 'actual'lyzmadee up of two separate. duplicate lever beam elements which are sustaineddmspaced opposed relation.- ship ;.-by the other parts: hereinafter described.

through its relatively-long lever arm will. be in (i0 .Eachmf:.-said1ever: beam elementsecomprises .a

fiat substantially triangular head I3, to one corner of which is suitably secured, as by welding, an elongated flat lever arm I5.

Each of said lever arms I is pierced by a plurality of holes I6 along its length, said holes being in register and receivable to a locking pin I! and a tension adjusting trunnion pin I9. Each of the heads I3 is pierced by a fulcrum hole and an upper guy pivot hole. Each fulcrum hole is positioned at the corner of the head l3, furthest removed from the lever arm I5, and said holes are in register and are receivable to a fulcrum pivot pin 21. The upper guy pivot holes are also in register and are receivable to an upper guy pivot pin 23.

A clevis 25 is made up of two duplicate elongated clevis plates 21 which are sustained in spaced opposed relationship, each of which plates is pierced at one end by a clevis pivot hole and at the other end by a lower guy pivot hole. The clevis pivot holes are in register and are receivable to a clevis pivot pin 29 and the lower guy pivot holes are also in register and are receivable to a lower guy pivot pin 3|.

The lower portion 33 of the guy, which extends up from a guy anchorage (not shown), terminates at its upper end in a guy terminal 35 which is pierced by a transverse pivot hole. Said guy terminal 35 is pivotally secured to the lower end of the clevis 25 by means of the lower guy pivot pin 3I. The said terminal 35 is positioned between the clevis plates 2I and acts as a spacer therefor.

The upper portion 31 of the guy, which incorporates a suitable tensioning means (not shown), such as a turnbuckle, terminates at its lower end in a guy terminal 39, which is pierced by a transverse pivot hole. Said guy terminal 39 is pivotally secured to the lever beam II by means of the upper guy pivot pin 23, which extends through the upper guy pivot holes in the lever beam II and through the pivot hole in the said terminal 39. Said guy terminal 39 is positioned between the two elements of said lever beam II and acts as a spacer therefor.

Pivotally secured to the upper end of the clevis 25, by means of the clevis pivot pin 29, are three separate tie members; namely, a fulcrum tie rod M, a tension adjusting tie member 93 and a look- .ing tie rod 45.

ceivable to the fulcrum pivot pin 2I, by which it is pivotally secured to the lever beam II.

The tension adjusting tie member 43 includes .a helical tension spring 53, to the lower end of which is hooked a lower hook rod 55 which terminates in a head 51, pierced by a transverse pivot hole, which head 51 is bifurcated so as to allow it to straddle the head 49 at the lower end of the fulcrum tie rod GI, aforesaid. An upper hook rod 59, Which is hooked into the upper end of the tension spring 53, is provided with an elongated threaded shank 6| which extends slidably through an orifice 63 in the tension adjusting trunnion pin I9. The shank BI may be provided with scale markings (not shown) along its length. Said upper hook rod 59 is also provided, beyond the said trunnion pin I9, with a sleeve 65, which is slidable axially upon the said shank BI, and a knurled, internally threaded nut 61, which is in threadable engagement with said shank beyond said sleeve. The upper end of the tension adjusting tie member 43 may be pivotally secured to the lever beam II at any one of a plurality of positions, depending upon the positioning of the tension adjusting trunnion pin I9. An annular thrust bearing 98 may be interposed between the trunnion pin I9 and the sleeve 65.

The locking tie rod 45 comprises a metal rod 69 provided at its lower end with a head II, pierced by a transverse hole, receivable to the clevis pivot pin 29, and at its upper end with a head I3, similarly pierced by a transverse hole. Said head II is bifurcated so as to allow it to straddle the head 5! mentioned above. The head I3 may be secured to the lever arm I5 by means of the locking pin 1! (after the desired guy tension has been effected, as will hereinafter appear).

All of the pins II, 2|, 23, 29 and 3|, referred to above, may be made up in any suitable manher, the form shown in the drawings having a solid metal body with a fiat head at one end and a transversely disposed cotter pin hole at the other. Preferably, each of said pins I1, 2i, 23, 29 and 3I is also provided with a washer which is positioned over its end before a cotter pin I9 is installed.

The tension adjusting trunnion pin I9, however, is made up of a central cylindrical body II and a pair of axially disposed trunnions I9. The body is provided with the transverse orifice 63, already mentioned, which is slidably receivable to the threaded shank 6| of the tension adjusting tie member 43, and the trunnions I9 are pierced by transverse holes receivable to cotter pins I9.

In the operation of the tensiometer just described, it is interposed between the two portions 33, 3! of the guy, as shown in the drawings, the guy terminal 35 being pivotally secured to the clevis 25 by the lower guy pivot pin 31, and the guy terminal 39 being pivotally secured to the lever beam II by means of the upper guy pivot pin 23. When first installed, and before any adjustments have been made, the parts will be as shown in Figure 1; the knurled nut 61 being at that time in a slacked oii position and the upper end of the locking tie rod 45 being disconnected from the lever beam I I. The upper end of the tension adjusting tie member 43 may be positioned, by means of the trunnion pin I9, at any one of the several holes I6 provided for it along the lever arm I5, depending upon the tension which is to be applied to the guy. As shown in the drawings, it is positioned at the outermost of said holes I6 for an application where considerable tension is to be applied to the The next step is to position the nut 6! along the threaded shank SI, according to scale markings (not shown) on said shank, or by using a separate scale, so as to position it according to a predetermined calculation (so that, when the operation is completed, a certain tension will have been put upon the guy). The nut 57 may then be in the position on the shank SI shown in Figures 2 and 3 and the lever arms I5 will make an acute angle with the axis of the guy. The next step is to take up the slack in the guy and exert tension upon it, by means of a turnbuckle (not shown) or other suitable means, until the lever arms I5 assume positions at right angles to the axis of the guy, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, at which time the spring 53 will be suitably stretched so that the moment acting in a clockwise direction, resulting from the spring tension thereof acting through the relatively long lever arm from the fulcrum pivot pin 2! to the trunnion pin 59 will equal the moment acting in a counterclockwise direction, resulting from the tension on the guy acting through the relatively short lever arm determined by the distance that the fulcrum ivot pin 2! is oifset from the axis of the guy.

lhe locking tie rod 35 is of such a length that the hole through the head '53 at its upper end may be swung into register with the innermost pair of holes it on the lever arms l5 when the aforesaid of balance has been achieved and lever arms are disposed normal to the guy axis. may then be pinned to the lever beam I l by means of the locking pin ii, whereupon the threaded hook rod the not 5? and the spring 53 may be removed for protection from the elements.

While there has been described what is at present considered a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims, to cover all such changes and modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tensiometer for a guy, an elongated lever beam, a fulcrum near one end thereof, a first guy pivot spaced a short distance along said beam from said fulcrum, a tension adjusting pivot spaced 2, further distance along said beam, a clevis, a clevis pivot at one end of said clevis, a second guy pivot at the other end thereof, a fulcrum tie rod extending from the fulcrum to the clevis pivot, a tension adjusting tie member extending from the tension adjusting pivot to the clevis pivot, said tension adjusting tie member including a spring element and means to shorten the effective length of said member so as to adjust the amount of pull which may be exerted by it, means to secure two portions of the guy to the first and second guy pivots respectively.

2. In a tensiometer as defined in claim 1 above, a loc in tie rod secured at one end to the clevis pivot provided at its other end with means to secure it to the lever beam at a point offset from the fulcrum, and said locking tie rod being of a length to as gauge to indicate when the lever beam is positioned at a predetermined angle relative to the axis of the guy.

3. A tensiometer as defined in claim 1, including means to lock the lever beam in a predetermined position relative to the guy.

4. In a tensiometer to couple two spaced free ends of two portions of a guy together and enable a tension on said guy to be adjusted, a lever beam pierced by a plurality of holes along its length, said holes including a fulcrum pivot hole near one end of said lever beam, a guy pivot hole a relatively short distance from said fulcrum pivot hole, and a plurality of tension adjusting pivot holes further removed from said fulcrum pivot hole, a clevis pierced by two holes along its length, a fulcrum tie rod pierced by a hole at each end, a tension adjusting tie member comprising a hook rod provided with a hook at one end and pierced by a hole at the other end, a second hook rod provided with a hook at one end and a threaded shank at the other, a helical spring spanning said The upper end of the locking tie rod 1 5 hooks, and a nut threaded upon said shank, a terminal on each of the free ends of the guy, each such terminal being pierced by a hole, a plurality of pivot pins, one end of the fulcrum tie rod being pivotably secured to the lever beam at the fulcrum pivot hole by means of one of said pivot pins, one guy terminal being pivotably secured to the lever beam at the guy pivot hole by means of another of said pivot pins, the shank aforesaid of the tension adjusting tie member being pivotably and longitudinally adjustably secured to the lever beam at one of the tension adjusting pivot holes by means of another of said pivot pins, the other ends of the fulcrum tie rod and the tension adjusting tie member being pivotably secured to the clevis at one hole thereof by means of another of said pivot pins, and the other guy terminal being pivotably secured to the clevis at the other hole thereof by means of another of said pivot pins.

5. A tensiometer as defined in claim 4, inc1uding a locking tie rod, and means securing said locking tie rod to the lever beam at a point other than the fulcrum pivot hole thereof and to the clevis, at least one of said means being separable.

6. A tensiometer as defined in claim 4, including means to lock the lever beam at a fixed position relative to the guy.

7. In a tensiometer to couple two spaced free ends of two portions of a guy together and to adjust the tension on said guy, a lever beam provided with a fulcrum, a guy pivot positioned a relatively short lever distance from said fulcrum, and a tension adjusting pivot positioned a relatively large distance from said fulcrum, a fulcrum tie member, a tension adjusting tie member adapted to exert a predetermined pull, means to secure one end of the fulcrum tie member to the fulcrum of the lever beam, means to secure one of the free ends of the guy to the guy pivot of the lever beam, means to secure one end of the tension adjusting tie member to the tension adjusting pivot of the lever beam, and means to secure the other ends of the fulcrum tie member and of the tension adjusting tie member to the other free end of the guy.

8. In a tensiometer as defined in claim 7, a locking tie member and means securing one end of said lockin tie member to the lever beam at a point removed from the fulcrum point thereof and means securing the other end of said locking tie member to the last mentioned free end of the guy, at least one of said securing means being separable.

9. A tensiometer as defined in claim 7, including means to lock the lever beam at a fixed position relative to the guy.

ERIC A. BLACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 437,134 Sands Sept. 23, 1890 452,602 Emerson May 19, 1891 1,186,174 Eloesser June 6, 1916 1,949,908 Hawk Mar. 6, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 123,275 Switzerland 1. Nov. 1, 1927 

